Ch.14547. Between the Worst and the Best (3)

As befitting a nation that values magic, Geornia’s reputation and status were beyond imagination.

Normally, her visit alone would have been a significant topic of conversation, but now Paceran was being crushed under the weight of chaos and recovery efforts so severe that even that distinction was lost in the confusion.

At least, since this was a nation that prioritized magical ability and understanding over racial distinctions, her treatment remained firmly respectful.

Rather, there were many who rushed to make an impression during this opportunity, and fierce battles of wits were unfolding among them.

However, whether that was the reason Geornia was immediately invited to the royal palace of Paceran and granted an audience with the king, while possible, the absence of even special procedures was certainly an unusual occurrence.

If there had been established exchanges between nations or diplomatic friendly relations, it might have been understandable… but among the human nations in the eastern continent, there weren’t many that maintained friendly relations with elves and surrounding races.

“Did they all collectively inhale poison mist? Anyone watching would think they’d just gone through a civil war or urban warfare.”

That’s what she had observed on her way here.

Amid all this, there were scenes of violent suppression carried out by those frantically searching for instigators and ringleaders under the pretext of rebellion.

Based on what she had briefly heard upon entering, Geornia immediately understood that the country had fallen into disarray in just a single day.

‘With the core city plunged into chaos, has the government itself become paralyzed?’

Of course, the destruction of key administrative personnel due to damage to the capital was bound to cause critical defects in national administration.

The problem was that the existing power structure had shouldered too much responsibility in an effort to avoid distributing authority, resulting in their absence manifesting as simultaneous personnel shortages and vacancies.

…Though substitute personnel were awkwardly trying to find their places, it would likely take at least a month or two to stabilize.

Because positions and status equated to power.

How many powerful individuals could bear to watch someone else take a seat above them?

It’s the instinct and nature of those in power that they would rather see the country collapse than witness others prosper.

‘It’s not our concern anyway, is it?’

As for this part, let her homeland handle it if necessary.

She wasn’t known for her wisdom in political circles.

She could do it if needed, but she wasn’t the type to be shameless and brazen.

Moreover, she wasn’t the kind of twisted personality who could spout lies without blinking an eye, or speak of truth and trust while calmly striking someone from behind.

“This way?”

Above all, judging by how quiet it was despite Rueld’s intrusion, it seemed he also had no intention of causing a major incident.

Even so, wasn’t it too quiet?

Upon entering the guided room, there were several others besides Rueld.

The nobles and royal guards of Paceran were nowhere to be seen, but there was a man equipped with the distinctive light armor made of simple metal unique to the guard corps.

The national bird of Paceran, a phoenix, was drawn in the center of his chest, and judging by how he was incomparable to ordinary guards, he seemed to hold a position of guaranteed rank.

In a nation that values magic, such attire would typically be despised, but if that person could also use magic and had considerable skill with a sword, he would be respected in some way.

…Though in another sense, he might also be subject to considerable envy and contempt.

Geornia immediately grasped all of this from the information she had gathered, despite no formal introduction.

“I’ve heard much about you. As for myself…”

Geornia nodded briefly to acknowledge the noble’s attempt at self-introduction.

She immediately glanced at Rueld standing to one side, and at the puppet king of this country.

Whatever had happened, that young child’s short hair had completely lost its luster and turned stark white.

Some patches even showed visible hair loss.

“……”

Though his expression remained crumbled from the apparent shock, the sight of him somehow managing to hold onto his sanity… how should one interpret this?

“What’s going on? What happened here?”

“Based on the information we’ve gathered so far…”

Rueld briefly summarized the situation.

He had arrived here somehow right after the incident occurred, but it was already in the aftermath.

Many survivors were found inside the palace, but only a very few were conscious.

“From interrogating the regent, we learned that he made a deal with a demon.”

“Who? Himself?”

“Yes. And…”

Rueld’s gaze turned toward the young king.

“How pathetic.”

Despite Geornia’s seemingly reproachful gaze toward their king, they remained silent, either averting their eyes or closing them as they waited.

“So he’s not saying anything himself?”

“He’s having difficulty regaining his composure.”

What could he have seen, heard, and experienced to end up in such a state?

However, both Geornia and Rueld had long since determined that the young boy was neither mentally absent nor insane.

They were simply giving him formal respect because, inadequate as he might be, he was still the king.

“Why don’t you stop pretending? I know you’re fine.”

Unlike Rueld, Geornia was direct and unrestrained.

But this seemed too much even for the Paceran noble, who immediately reacted.

“E-even so, you shouldn’t speak to His Majesty like that…”

Geornia immediately cut off his words.

“I consider you easterners no better than beasts or monsters. Just look at the state of your people. From my perspective, you’re not running a nation but operating a labor camp as slave guards and detention managers. Yet even the managers can’t properly handle the slaves they’ve neglected. Make up your minds! Will you treat them as slaves, as citizens, as comrades and kin, or as brothers and sisters? Is that so difficult?”

Foolish individuals who push others into the gutter solely to feel a sense of relative superiority.

Whether to use people as short-term consumable resources, to stockpile and manage them as medium to long-term available resources, or to treat them not as resources but as individuals with personhood.

The way to treat them becomes clear depending on how one decides, so what’s so difficult about it?

“…I didn’t come here to lecture you, so stop wasting my breath with pointless arguments.”

Despite her low tone, there was an undeniable dignity in the Archmage’s presence that couldn’t be taken lightly.

No matter how young, delicate, and beautiful her appearance might be… as an Archmage, even simple emotional changes were directly transmitted as presence and pressure.

The lingering mana emanating from her body.

And with just a fraction of the mana waves being released, they found themselves involuntarily holding their breath.

“And you all should watch your words.”

Geornia looked at Rueld’s expression and once again prepared to break a taboo.

…In this situation, there were clear limitations to hearing explanations from that mouth.

The regent, having been attacked and lost consciousness midway, was being detained as the criminal who caused the incident, but he didn’t seem to know exactly what had happened.

However.

“……”

The description of a young man reminded someone of a person.

But since he didn’t know who that person was or what they did, he only mentioned it as some kind of absurd being, as someone of unknown identity.

And.

The impudent young king, possessed by a demon, had only been one-sidedly beaten while fighting him.

Since that was all the regent remembered, the only option was to peer into the king’s mind.

“Now I’m afraid, so afraid.”

What would she see this time?

She’d rather not deal with minor demons if possible… but if it caused this level of chaos, that being must be no ordinary one.

As Geornia approached and touched the young king’s white hair, his eyes filled with terror.

Normally, she would have needed to write a strict contract and carefully coordinate and check the situation, but starting that would make the procedure extremely complicated and waste considerable time, so Geornia decided to be flexible.

This was the result.

Since only the recent past was needed, with no need for the distant past.

It should be enough to somehow glimpse the events of yesterday.

…

For some reason, despite having a body dozens of times larger than now, he was being one-sidedly beaten by a young man who could easily be subdued or killed with a slap of the palm.

While lying flat on the ground.

She rewinds a bit more.

The young man conversing with the young king possessed by a demon.

The actual conversation wasn’t long, and even the content wasn’t coherent.

She rewinds again.

To right after the battle.

However, from this point on, things become difficult to grasp properly.

No, let’s focus more.

Perhaps we need to enter deeper consciousness from here.

In other words, someone deliberately intended this… and if that person is Kariel?

…This isn’t something that can be easily implemented or utilized with magic, even for mental abilities?

Even high elves like herself with innate related abilities couldn’t…

But gradually it starts to become visible.

There, Kariel spoke about demons.

The forms of the young king and what could be called demons.

Beyond countless numbers, like counting flowing river water, there were demons of all varieties, large and small, overflowing, and the two looking up at them.

And there, Kariel once more.

Showed the young king another scene.

It was…

…at least not of this world.

She couldn’t see everything, but even just a part made her feel nauseated.

However, befitting Geornia’s considerable years of life, her mind and body didn’t collapse or become devastated by this.

But.

The worst was yet to come.

[If the Lord sent you, it would be proper procedure for me to come and greet you.]

[I am another cry in the wilderness.]

And that.

Began to look directly at Geornia, who was observing this situation.

That being speaks.

Though it wasn’t directed at her.

It was also a pronouncement aimed specifically at her.

[Ordinarily, a trivial existence like you receiving me would be impossible even if the heavens collapsed.]

[Nevertheless, having already received this body, I shall no longer tolerate your insignificance.]

Geornia immediately removed her hand from the young king.

Not content with just that, she retreated several steps and began vomiting blood while kneeling on the floor.

“—?!!!”

Her sight disappeared, along with hearing, touch, and smell.

Everything vanished.

Only a suffocating, overwhelming emptiness remained.

Like being not just dropped but sucked into the vast ocean alone.

“—–­!!!”

Language disappeared, reason collapsed.

In an instant, she became something no more than simple organic matter, rather than an intelligent being.

Something worse than the abyss opens its eyes wide.

From it, a hand, something that is not a hand, something else entirely.

Gradually extends out.

Ordinarily, it shouldn’t have been visible.

But having seen it, having come to see it.

Even that was only possible because it intended and allowed it.

“-―­-?”

Consciousness sinks.

After what felt like a long time, perhaps a day passing, or what felt like 3 years, or even 10 years.

Suddenly, light descended.

“Keurk!”

Her breath returned, and the metallic smell of blood vibrated inside and outside her mouth and nose.

Without realizing it, Geornia was looking up at the ceiling.

And the person holding her head while reciting something incomprehensible was a red-haired woman with a considerable build.

If she hadn’t lowered her head while supporting her, Geornia might not have been able to make out her face or features at all due to her voluptuous chest.

This is admirable in a different sense.

“…?”

From one side of her vision, another familiar figure caught her eye.

This one was also a red-haired woman, and the other had the same red hair.

However, when she briefly turned and met her blue eyes, even in her mentally hazy state, Geornia immediately recognized her.

‘The princess?’

Why is she here?

More importantly, how much time has passed since this happened?

And why did this happen to me?

Trying to recall caused a tremor to well up again, with a sensation like thorns piercing her entire body, a pain that wasn’t quite pain.

A series of strange sensations.

But an uneasiness she definitely didn’t want to experience again.

“How… long… have I been… like this?”

To her precarious question, the princess, Elhermina, answered with deliberate emphasis.

“According to Lord Rueld, it was about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.”

…Only that much?

What I experienced felt like it lasted decades?

Though I can’t remember what I experienced, what I felt, what I heard or saw, or what happened.

“……”

Let’s handle what’s important.

Why did I come here again?

What was I trying to do…?

“…Where’s Rueld?”

“You said Kariel was here, and that if we missed him now, it would be irreversible, so he immediately went out to search based on your words.”

“……”

Will he even be able to find him by just setting out blindly?

“Your last words were to find the Salvation Knight Order as they would be connected, and then you could barely maintain consciousness, I heard.”

“…I see.”

“We arrived at precisely that moment. I consider it divine providence.”

At Elhermina’s words, Geornia privately nursed an emotion that could have been either relief or irritation.

Is that so? Was it… good fortune?

Above all, the woman who had laid her head on her lap was clearly no ordinary being by any measure.

If not that.

How else to explain that infinite sacred power blooming from her entire body?

“You’re… from the church…?”

“For now… I suppose so?”

…Why is your answer like that? What does “for now” even mean?

“What did you experience that covered your entire body in a magical field? Even in my memory, I’ve never seen a being from the magical realm suffering from magical poisoning this severe.”

“…How do you know about that?”

“My main stage was initially the northern region of the Empire.”

“……”

Why is someone like that lurking in the east?

While Geornia was puzzled.

“Ah, I’m late with my self-introduction to the esteemed High Elf elder. I am… Alesia, the 4th Saint of the Order. For now. For now.”

…What does “for now” even mean? Why add unnecessary qualifications?

She thought about snapping back, but lacking strength, Geornia forcibly kept her eyelids open against the creeping drowsiness.

“Right… now I remember. You… and Kariel…”

However, was the sleepiness more intense than she realized?

Unable to complete her sentence, Geornia closed her eyes.

“……”

“……”

And so.

Except for the sleeping silver-haired elf.

Inside the guest room of Paceran’s royal palace, where only the two red-haired women remained.

An unnaturally strange silence circled terribly.